Republicans mostly silent as millions of Americans protest Trump on No Kings day [View all]

Source: The Guardian

Sat 18 Oct 2025 18.34 EDT
Last modified on Sat 18 Oct 2025 20.05 EDT


Republican voices were mostly silent as No Kings rallies and marches against Trump administration policies unfurled on Saturday, many in the spirit of a street party that countered the “hate America” depiction advanced by senior members of the party.

Instead of provocation, there were marching bands, huge banners with “we the people” references to the US constitution, and protesters wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance.

It was the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and came against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services but is testing the core balance of power, as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that protest organizers warn are a slide toward authoritarianism.

In comments Friday, Donald Trump opposed the protest organizers’ characterization of him as a would-be monarch. “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview. Later Friday, a Trump campaign social media account mocked the protests by posting a computer-generated video of the president clothed like a monarch, wearing a crown and waving from a balcony.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/18/no-kings-protest-rally-republicans